Ex-boyfriend: Gula claimed she was pregnant

Warren Ruda / The Citizens' Voice
Carrie Gula leaves the Luzerne County Courthouse on Tuesday at the conclusion of the first day of testimony.

The ex-boyfriend of suspended state Trooper Carrie Gula took the witness stand Tuesday and told a jury how he wanted her gone from his life after she showed up at his house in uniform, assaulted him and tried to steal his phone.

Instead, he claims she concocted a lie that he assaulted her, then asked him to go along with the claim because her job was in jeopardy by skeptical superiors. Finally, he says she resulted to desperation, falsely claiming to be pregnant to sway his mind.

On Tuesday, Eric Thomas wanted to make it absolutely clear: his then-girlfriend - a state trooper in uniform - attacked him in a vengeful rage on Aug. 1, 2012, a culmination of her controlling ways and brewing anger.

"What happened at my house was out of control," Thomas said. "I just wanted to be done with her."

Thomas was the prosecution's first witness Tuesday in Gula's criminal trial on allegations she falsely claimed her boyfriend assaulted her and on claims she hacked into his Internet account because she feared he was cheating on her.

"There were trust issues in this relationship," Luzerne County Assistant District Attorney Jenny Roberts told jurors during opening statements. "She liked to check up on him. When she couldn't, she freaks out."

Gula, 35, of West Pittston, had been working for the state police barracks in Fern Ridge in Monroe County until her December 2012 arrest. She is standing trial on felony counts of computer trespassing, criminal use of a communication facility, unlawful use of a computer and making false reports to police.

Gula's defense attorney Joseph Nocito said police and prosecutors are engaged in a frivolous prosecution regarding "he said, she said" allegations between a boyfriend and girlfriend.

"Is this really what we want law enforcement spending their time on?" Nocito asked jurors during his opening.

Prosecutors accuse Gula of illegally accessing her then-boyfriend's Verizon account because she had "trust issues" and feared he was cheating, and of making a false report that Eric Thomas had assaulted her. Gula denies assaulting Thomas, Nocito said.

The attorney said Gula had permission to access Thomas' account and will take the witness stand to explain, he said.

"The Commonwealth is going to try to portray Ms. Gula as the crazy, jealous girlfriend," Nocito predicted. In reality, the case is about "two rather immature people in a relationship they shouldn't be in," Nocito said.

Thomas, of Exeter, testified Tuesday that Gula, wearing her work uniform, showed up at his house on Aug. 1, 2012, while on a "break" from her job. She had told her superiors she was going to check on her sick father, but ended up going to Thomas' house, police said.

Thomas said he caught Gula trying to sneak out a side door with his phone in her hand. When he tried to get it back, she pushed and kicked him and he fell, he said. Once he got his phone, he asked her to leave, but she went upstairs in a bathroom, where she then threw a bottle at his head and screamed, "Do you really want me to (expletive) leave?" Thomas said she later charged him swinging fists and kicked him again. She left only after he threatened to call the police.

After Gula left that night, she had sent Thomas over a dozen texts messages, the first reading, "That's the last time you'll lay a finger on me" and another sent later that said, "You will regret this. Mark my words."

Following the incident, Thomas said, Gula reported him to police, saying he was the one who attacked her, pushed her to the floor and grabbed her by the neck. But prosecutors say they found no evidence of injuries on Gula.

Police soon were told about the hacking incident regarding Thomas' phone. Prosecutors claim Gula used her phone to log into Thomas account and change the password prior to the altercation at the home.

When her lie put her job in jeopardy by skeptical supervisors, Gula then asked him to lie for her and say her story was true, Thomas testified.

Thomas told her he wouldn't lie for her, yet he said he still didn't want to see her get in trouble because she claimed she was pregnant with his child.

Nocito questioned why Thomas took until Sept. 11, 2012 to provide police a written statement.

Thomas said he declined to give a written statement because he didn't know whether she was pregnant and she told him nothing would happen if he didn't write one.

"I didn't want any trouble for Carrie," he said. "â¦ There was no way I was going to give a written statement if the woman was pregnant with my child. No way."

He also said he was nervous when he spoke with state police because she is part of the department, so he got a lawyer before giving a written statement.

Gula was arrested on Dec. 13, 2012 and remains on unpaid leave pending the outcome of the case.

bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2055, @cvbobkal

jseibel@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2110, @cvseibel

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